I'd Go To Hell For You
by cassjaerinmiyasha
Summary: The crew wakes up one day to find multiple red strings attached to Robin's wrist. They quickly go on an adventure so solve it. [Various! X Robin] [Rated T for now]
1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

This is my first time writing a One Piece story so I apologise in advance if the characterisation isn't accurate. It's also my first time trying out a continuous story line for multiple characters x story protagonist so I apologise again if you see any hiccups!

Do note that the story doesn't follow canon… so no character deaths.

With that, thank you for reading!

* * *

 **Prologue:**

* * *

"W-What do you think it is? Do you think she's sick?"

"The real question should be how she could sleep with that many strings on her hand?!"

"She must be _super_ tired. Maybe."

"Tch. I have one too."

"Guys! Look! The string just gets longer no matter how far I run!"

"Ah… Is this heaven, being connected with Robin- _chwan_?"

"Yo-hohoho… I'm quite envious of you three."

"….. This is a women's room only! Get out!"


	2. Chapter 1 - Red is the colour of Fate

When Robin first opened her eyes, she was surprised to see eight anxious heads staring down at her. She rubbed her eyes sleepily, slowly sitting up as she greeted the unwelcomed visitors.

"Good morning. Did something happen?"

Nobody said a thing and it wasn't until Usopp pointed to her wrists did she realised what they had been looking at.

 _Strings?_

Her first instinct had been to remove them but imagine her shock when her fingers just passed through as though there was nothing there. That definitely woke her up.

"So you can't remove it too, huh?" Zoro clucked his tongue in disapproval. "These things sure are troublesome."

"Too?"

Her eyes quickly glanced through the strings. Sure enough, there were multiple red strings on her wrist but she noticed that there was only one on Zoro's. A closer look, however, pointed out that one of the strings on her had been the same one on his wrist. The woman tilted her head in confusion but she soon realised that both Luffy and Sanji had one on them too.

"This is…"

"Robin! Look!" Luffy's excited voice startled her out of her thoughts. The young man ran out of the room and she had widened her eyes in amazement when the string connecting to him had stretched longer. She felt no strain on her hands no matter how far he ran and Robin had marvelled at what the strings actually were. "It's so cool!"

"Luffy! Be careful!" Chopper cried out angrily. "We don't know what it is yet and you might hurt her!"

"Hurt?" Sanji drawled a little too happily. "I don't think I can ever get hurt from being this connected with Robin _-chwan_."

"What I don't get is why the strings are only connected to the three of them." Brook huffed in annoyance. "I wanted it to be me too. Then maybe I could see her panti-"

"This is a serious matter, you pervert!" Nami karate-chopped the skeleton by his head.

This time, Franky grinned. "Are you referring to me?"

The noisy chatters of the Straw Hats were tuned out as Robin inspected the strings a little more. She now at least know of a few things. First, there were multiple strings on her right wrist. Second, three different strings were connected to three of her crew members. Thirdly, the strings were intangible, although they could be seen. Lastly, the length of the string seemed to be infinite.

Putting it all together, Robin sighed.

"I wonder what this is…"

Nami heard the worry laced in the former's voice and she turned to her anxiously. It was plain to see that Robin was a little upset at not being able to remove the strings.

"Actually," Brook spoke up, earning curious stares from the rest of them. "I once heard of a situation like this before. It was said that when you passed a certain current in the New World, a random crew member will have red strings all over their hands and it is known to be a sign of fate."

He continued. "The strings leads you to a possible soulmate potential and will only disappear once the chosen person falls deeply in love with someone."

"Wait…" Nami frowned. "Wasn't that just a myth? I heard of this too but…"

"I'm not so sure of it being a myth but one of my old crewmates swore it happened to his friend from a different crew."

"You mean…" Both Chopper and Usopp now turned to Robin. "…Poor Robin."

" _Super_! Luffy, Zoro and Sanji are her potential soulmates?"

"HUH?!" The affected trio was flabbergasted at the sudden turn of events.

"But I don't want to get married!" Luffy whined.

"… The myth isn't real." Zoro huffed.

"Robin- _chwan_! I love yo-"

"You mean to tell me," Robin avoided Sanji's declaration of love as she pondered over Brook's earlier explanation seriously. "These strings represent potential soulmates? And there's others, excluding Luffy, Zoro and Sanji?"

"They're just stories I've heard." Brook admitted. "But you never know. There's no harm in finding and knowing who else are connected to these strings too, right?"

"Wait. If the potential soulmates could see the strings just like how Luffy and the rest can, does that mean they could follow the string and come to us as well?" Usopp furrowed his eyebrows together. "That's scary! What if there is a crazed, dangerous criminal out there somewhere?!"

Nami shook her head at that ridiculous statement. " _We_ are the crazy, dangerous criminals."

"An adventure to find Robin's future soulmate!" Chopper's eyes seemed to sparkle. "That would be fun!"

"I guess…" Robin agreed but it was largely due to the fact that Chopper himself had been excited. If it had been any other person…

"Luffy!" Nami turned to her Captain. "Can we have permission to look for all of her potential soulmates?"

"Hmm… I don't know…"

"The faster we find her potential soulmates, the faster this string will disappear right?" Zoro pointed to his own string.

"Or I could just make Robin- _chwan_ fall madly in love with me." Sanji danced over to the older woman. "Right, Robin- _chwan_?"

"Fine." Luffy finally gave in. "The sight of the string _is_ beginning to annoy me. Okay, everyone! Let's go find Robin her soulmate!"

"Okay!"

At that, Robin smiled. Finding a soulmate hasn't once been on her mind but a little distraction wouldn't hurt. A quick look at the strings, however, turned her a little tense. If the story regarding the strings were true, then that would mean that she needed to fall in love for it to disappear.

Robin looked up to see Luffy, Zoro and Sanji staring down at her. It was in that moment that it finally sunk in how serious the situation could turn out. The four crew members averted their gazes, each lost on their own thoughts. Would the situation turn worse than it already is, or would it get better?

Nobody knows the answer.

"I mean… it _is_ about time Robin got married." Usopp made an off-handed remark, thinking that Robin couldn't hear.

"… _Dos Fleur_ …"

"R-R-Robin! I'm sorry!"


	3. Chapter 2 - The Competition Begins

A small sighed escaped her lips, alerting the few near her how troubled she was by the situation. Nami patted her shoulders sympathetically, wondering if Robin was more annoyed by the strings than she had let on.

"You know…" Usopp frowned at the older woman. "You can try falling in love with one of those three idiots."

"Put yourself in her shoes, Usopp." Nami turned to the three who were busy playing a game of cards with Chopper. "Would you fall in love with that?"

"Sigh…" Was all Robin uttered.

"Oi, oi." The young man slapped her on her back. "You didn't need to verbalise that sigh."

"I wonder who are her potential soulmates?" Nami added dreamily. "There seem to be quite a few strings…Say, Robin. Are there any guys you're interested in?"

The woman considered the question carefully, her mind replaying all the events that happened in her life. She found that there was none she truly liked but there were a few who she found attractive. After all, it was only natural for her to have such feelings; she was a thirty-year old after all.

"There isn't." Robin muttered at long last.

"Really?" Usopp eyed her suspiciously. "You are old, you know."

"… _Dos Fleur_..."

"Oi, oi!"

"Not even one?" The young man thanked his lucky stars when Nami butted in. "You mean, you've never dated before?!"

"Dated… not so much." Robin hated to admit that fact.

Usopp choked on his saliva. "So you're a v-vi-virg-virgi-"

The woman laughed, knowing that would be the first thing on the two's mind.

"I didn't had the luxury to go on dates with a boyfriend." She clarified. "I _was_ busy trying to survive. _But_ that doesn't mean I've never had someone to sleep with before."

"Oh." Usopp nodded his head in understanding. Then, it finally sink in. " _Oh_."

Meanwhile, the orange haired young woman could only blush.

"That's so bold, Robin. But, who was your first?!"

"I don't think I want to know that…"

The older woman grinned as she shook her head teasingly. Surely there was no need to share her personal (most intimate) life with the two. It was kind of embarrassing to begin with. What could she possibly say to make it sound not as awkward?

"Okay, but if you were to choose between the three of them." Nami's blush had disappeared as quickly as it came to be. In fact, a scowl now adorned her pretty face; leaving Robin to think that Nami probably didn't think highly of the trio that much. "Who would you choose as a potential boyfriend?"

"I don't know…" Robin turned to look at the three.

Sanji was bickering with Zoro as per usual, with Luffy stealing cards from Chopper when he wasn't looking. The woman sighed again.

"I've never dated, so I won't know."

"T-then…" It was Usopp's turn to blush. _Weird_. "W-Who would you bring to bed?"

"That!" Robin widened her eyes at the suggestive question but she gave a long stare towards the three. "… I don't know, either."

"Aww, Robin! Come on!" Nami urged her on.

"Come on!" Usopp encouraged her too.

A slight blush made its' way on Robin's cheeks and the pair were quick to notice. They turned to each other, an evil glint already forming in their eyes.

"Who is it…" Nami and Usopp chuckled gleefully. "You're being awfully shy…"

"N-No one."

"Oh?" Usopp placed his arms around the woman. "A stammer?"

"Is it Luffy?" Nami grinned widely. "Or maybe Zoro? Sanji?"

"It's…" Robin bit her lips in embarrassment. _What am I doing?_ "It's-"

"What are you doing here?!" Luffy's loud voice interrupted their little game of fun.

 _I'm saved._

"What's happening?" Nami scowled angrily towards her Captain. "And here we were about to know the truth of a lifetime."

"Ace!"

"Ace?!" Nami and Usopp quickly ran towards Luffy.

Intrigued by the commotion, Robin found herself trailing after the pair and was pleasantly surprised to see Luffy's older brother on the Thousand Sunny. She first noticed his freckles, which was an odd first thing to notice about someone. The man had brought his younger brother in for a hug, despite Luffy actively resisting it.

It was then she noticed _the red things_ ; wrapped around his wrists.

"You have one too?!" Luffy wanted to take a hold on it but his hands went right through. "Argh. That always annoys me!"

"Yes." Ace frowned. "It appeared out of nowhere yesterday so I tried following it. And here I am."

"Huh…" Zoro raised an eyebrow at this new information. "So you're one too, huh."

"One what?"

Zoro said nothing but merely pointed in Robin's direction. She was taken aback at his sudden gesture but the woman kept her cool anyway. She gave him a small smile as she flaunted her wrist towards the group. It was odd that she greeted him so, despite it being her first meeting with Ace.

"Wow, that's a lot of strings." Ace remarked, not taking his eyes off her wrist. "But I'm afraid I still don't understand."

"You're a potential soulmate." Luffy casually explained.

"W-W-What?!"

The group explained Brook's theories to the young man, all the while leaving Robin uncomfortable from the stare she was getting. It didn't affect her much when she found out that her friends could have been her soulmate but when all was said and done, it _was_ pretty mortifying to explain such a thing to a complete stranger.

"So…" Ace pondered thoughtfully. "It'll only disappear once Robin falls in love with someone?"

"Not just fall in love." Usopp corrected the man. "Fall _deeply_ in love."

"Oh."

Silence ensued and Robin found herself at the need to say something. The woman flinched in surprise when her eyes had met Ace's, knowing that he had been intently staring at her the whole time.

"Sorry that this happened to you." Robin apologised in advance. "I'll try to get the strings to disappear as quickly as possible… but…"

"It's okay." Ace nodded his head in understanding. "I mean, it's not like you could control it."

"Right."

"Also, I guess this isn't a bad feeling."

"Huh?" Luffy and Zoro couldn't comprehend his neutral stance on the matter.

Ace scratched his nose sheepishly, wondering how to piece his words carefully. Albeit meeting the older woman for the first time, he could already tell that Robin had been more than troubled at the situation she found herself in. He could also tell that she masks her feelings behind that stoic expression.

Sure, he's also heard many things about her; of which many weren't as nice, but Ace trusted Luffy's judgement of character. And if Nico Robin was a Straw Hat member, then she must surely be a good person as well.

"I'm honoured to be a potential soulmate of a beautiful woman like Robin." Ace said in a straightforward manner.

"W-W-What?!"

If Robin had been embarrassed by his words, she clearly didn't show it.

"Thank you. You're very kind."

"So I guess that's that." The man offered a handshake towards her. Although she hesitated at first, Robin still shook his hand warmly. "Luffy. Do you mind if I stay over a few days?"

"I mean, sure, but why?" His younger brother tilted his head in confusion. "Weren't you busy looking for someone else?"

"If we want the strings to disappear," Ace offered. "Then we at least have to take this seriously, right? So I'm staying to get to know Robin better."

The whole crew were rendered speechless by his words, different forms of shock present in their faces. Sanji was the only one who wasn't pleased at Ace's declaration, knowing that someone else was taking this thing seriously as well.

"Just so you know," The blonde man pointed an accusing finger at their visitor. "I'll be the one who will win her heart."

Ace laughed, more than happy to receive his war cry. "Sure, bring it on but I won't be sitting by idly."

"Huh?" Zoro frowned, wondering why the two were so heated up. "If the stupid cook is participating then I'll join in as well."

"Zoro…" Usopp and Nami sighed. "You're _already_ in."

"Then! Me too!" Luffy crossed his arms in frustration. "Robin will like me the best by the end of the day!"

It was then, Robin decided, that her first thoughts were proven correct.

The situation could only get worse from here.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

The beginning is a little slow but I assure you there will be developments later on in the story.

As of now, I plan to make it a multi-ending fic, depending on who Robin chooses in the end.

Let me know what you guys think? Thank you for reading!


	4. Chapter 3 - One after Another

**Author's Note:**

Thank you so much for reading so far! As of now, I plan to upload at least 2 chapters every weekend. This and the next chapter still move a little slowly but the next upload would probably be more in depth.

* * *

 **Guest #1:** Thank you for the first comment! Cavendish _was_ a potential but I didn't wanted there to be too much suitors haha, so he sadly couldn't make it here. Maybe there are others though! :)

 **YukiHannah87:** Thank you for reading! :) She has 12 strings actually! The eight thing was probably the eight other Straw Hat members first peeking at her when she first woke up. Hope that clarifies!

 **Kirika:** Gracias por leer! Pienso lo mismo, Zorobin is my number one but Lawbin is a close after. Sorry, my spanish sucks haha.

 **PulloutFiction:** Thank you for reading! Hopefully Robin's soulmate will be one that she really fell madly in love with! :)

 **Chocoletie:** Thank you for the interest! :) I try to upload two chapters every weekend so hopefully that clarifies! And thank you for reading!

 **Silver:** Thank you for reading! :) Sadly, Nami doesn't have one but I hope you'll like it all the same haha. She and Usopp are admittedly Robin's greatest pillars in this story.

 **Guest #2:** Thank you for reading! :) Hope that you'll continue to like the updates!

 **complicatedmind21:** Thank you so much for the compliment! Usopp _is_ a brave warrior after all haha. I hope you'll like the update! :)

* * *

 _And now the story continues_

* * *

It was a lie to say that she hadn't at least held some expectation to see _him_ there.

Sure, there were her three friends; of whom had suddenly began to take this as a competition. Then there was Ace, young and handsome; also conveniently related to Luffy. Robin was beginning to see a pattern, albeit it might have been a little early to predict one.

But seeing the blonde haired young man, laughing along in merry with her other crew members made the woman think that whatever game fate was playing had been a little too predictable for her taste.

After all, he did complete the set of three that had been missing for a while.

"I see, I see!" The young man scratched his head sheepishly. "So that's what this string was about, huh. It is a lot to take in."

"But it's cool though." Ace replied, quickly glancing at his own string. "I mean, the world really is a mysterious place."

"I don't know… It does seem a little inconvenient to keep seeing the strings on my hand…"

"Oh, Sabo." The former laughed, slinging his arms over the other's shoulders. "It wouldn't bother you now, would it? Robin has it worse than us!"

At that statement, the blonde sighed softly; realising that the words were true. His eyes had met hers and the man gave a small smile at the comrade he hadn't seen in a while. He walked up to her and placed his hands on her shoulders; earning a quick scream from another blonde man behind her.

"Sorry, that must have sounded insensitive to you." Sabo frowned but Robin only shook her head at his apology.

"It's okay. You are right with the strings being an inconvenience, especially in trying to make them disappear."

"Right." He recalled Ace's explanation earlier, one that he had heard from Brook. "You have to fall madly deeply in love with someone."

Robin pursed her lips together and the young man had found the action to be very alarming. The woman rarely did anything of the sort during her short stint with the Revolutionary Army, even when her own life had been in danger. This situation definitely took a toll on her and Sabo frowned deeper, knowing that Robin probably didn't _wanted_ to fall in love with anybody in the first place.

"If you fell in love with me…" The young man trailed on awkwardly. "I'll… treat you nicely."

Sanji, who had been eavesdropping at their conversation, was slowly seething in anger. He was about to go give Sabo a piece of his mind but was thankfully held back by a worried Nami.

Oblivious to his surroundings, Sabo continued.

"N-Not that I ever found you attractive during the two years we worked together and you helped me found a hiding place that one time Koala was about to bite my head off when I ignored her call because Dragon called for me."

 _That was oddly specific._

Robin pushed her thoughts aside. "Technically, Koala wouldn't have been able to bite your head off if you used Haki."

Sabo sighed. He wondered sometimes to why Robin had always took him seriously.

"Also, your head wouldn't come off in just one bite so that's not so bad."

Scratch that. Sabo wondered why Robin always thought of things a little too darkly.

"Oh?" Ace suddenly appeared beside the two, assessing them from head to toe. "I didn't know you were already infatuated with her."

"I'm not!" Sabo snapped but the pink in his cheeks proved otherwise. "A-Anyway, let's get back to the topic at hand. We still don't know who these other strings belong to, right?"

At his question, the whole crew had gathered around the trio; quickly inspecting the rest of the strings on Robin's hands.

"Hey, Robin?" It was Nami who broke the silence. "How many strings are there exactly on your hand?"

"Twelve." She answered without missing a beat. There was no way she would stutter over her answer for the woman had continuously counted the amount of strings every second of her waking day since they appeared. "Just twelve."

"Yo-hohoho… And we already know five of its' owners identities. That means we're missing seven." Brook gushed in amusement.

"Make that six." A random voice spoke behind them, leaving the crew to jump in surprise at yet another unwelcomed visitor.

"L-L-Law?!"

The scruffy man waved, casually strolling to the group as he eyed them cautiously.

"I heard everything." Law declared in a deadpanned manner. "So Nico- _ya_ 's one of the chosen few, I presume?"

"Don't tell me," Zoro slapped his own forehead. " _You're_ one of the potentials too?"

The man nodded. "I'm not one for all these love games but if it means that the string would disappear, I'd be more than willing to participate."

Loud chatters engulfed the ship's deck but Robin only continued staring out at the sea.

 _When did he get here?_

"Like I was saying." Ace cleared his throat proudly. "We should have a competition to see who can capture Robin's heart the best."

"… Don't I have any say in the matter?" Robin questioned but no one seemed to hear her. "Right. I apparently don't."

"A competition's only a competition if we know who the rest of the participants are." Sabo pointed out. "It wouldn't be fair otherwise."

"Nothing's fair in love and war." Sanji huffed in annoyance. "It's those losers fault for not participating early."

"For once, I agree with the stupid cook." Zoro sighed. "The quicker the strings disappear, the faster we can get back to our daily quests."

"…" Law's lips curled down in displeasure. "Competitions are too troublesome for my taste."

Only Luffy grinned widely. "I don't care either way. I'm not bothered by the strings anymore! I'm beginning to think of this as another adventure!"

"So? Robin?" The six men turned to look at her. "What do you think?!"

"I…"

"I… I've got an idea!" Chopper's voice startled the sudden serious atmosphere. "Why don't we follow the rest of the six strings so that the competition can start fairly?!"

The optimism in his voice only made Robin feel worse about herself. There was no way she could tell the cute little thing what a bad idea it was. But as expected, the woman had contradicted herself.

"Chopper, that's a good idea."

"I don't like the idea!" Usopp's resistance was met with a few side-eyes, though Robin had been more than thankful that someone understood her woes. "What if we run into someone crazy?!"

Unfortunately for Usopp, no one took him seriously.

"That's… a pretty good idea." Ace pondered thoughtfully. "If we follow the strings, we'll get to the others more quickly than if we waited for them to come to us."

"And then the competition can officially begin." Sabo grinned. "Chopper, you're a genius!"

"T-That doesn't make me happy, you jerk!"

"Okay! Then it's official!" Luffy suddenly pointed at the high seas. "We're off to find the rest of Robin's soulmates!"

For once, Robin wished the optimism would have rubbed a little on her.

* * *

When the crew had first decided on one of the six unknown strings to follow, they hadn't expected to run into a potential soulmate so quickly. The Thousand Sunny led them to another pirate's ship and unsurprisingly enough, to yet another familiar face.

As Robin first took in his red hair, the woman began to wonder if fate was decidedly cruel to her from the get go and she secretly hated it. Luffy (and Law) began to explain the situation to the man, having worked together with him before.

"Huh? You mean to tell me this stupid string means I'm her soulmate?" Kid scrunched his nose in disgust.

"At least it's not a curse as we first thought it was." Killer corrected his captain but that seemed to put the man on edge more.

"It _is_ a curse."

 _Likewise,_ Robin thought sarcastically.

"So the only way it disappears is if she falls in love with someone?" Kid pointed to Robin. "Hey, woman. You can fall in love with me if you like."

The woman only raised an eyebrow. "No thanks."

"Why you-"

"I see. That's an excellent idea." Killer nodded his head in understanding after having talked to both Ace and Sabo. "I guess we can lend you our captain for a while."

"I don't want to participate in this stupid competition." Kid growled after hearing their conversation. "I could care less who she ends up with, as long as this string disappears."

"It definitely won't be you." Nami rolled her eyes at how rude he was in front of Robin. _Honestly, the nerve of him_. "Robin has better taste than that."

"Listen you stupid-" The Captain of the Kid Pirates was about to go on a rant but he stopped himself. "You know what. I'll join this stupid thing and show all of you that she'll fall in love with me at last."

 _Not going to happen_.

Robin began to look away as the waves continued lulling their boats at sea. She could already tell this was going to be a rough few weeks with her suitors aboard the Thousand Sunny.

She would soon realise that Kid would be the least of her problems; with them following the next string to Dressrosa.

* * *

"You've got to be kidding me." Law spat as they arrived at the shores of the place he hated with his whole being. " _Him_? Really?!"

"It's a pleasure to see you too, Law." Doflamingo laughed loudly, pleasantly surprised at his new visitors. "And you too, _Nico Robin_."

Robin hated the way he spoke her name; it nauseated her that this very man had once wanted to kill her along for putting Law out of harm's way.

"Robin." Luffy sighed, the first the crew had heard in a while. "You really have the worst luck."

Doflamingo added without caring about what anyone had to say. "When the string first appeared, I already knew that some little lamb would come my way, hoping to fall madly in love with me, but I never expected it to be you, Nico Robin."

"I'll continue to be on my way then, thank you."

"Feisty." He laughed again. "You always were an enigma."

"So…" Kid scratched his head at the sudden turn of events. "I assume this guy won't be joining us as we find her other potential soulmates?"

"You're right. I don't have time for such childish activities. But I admit I am intrigued. Maybe I'll drop by once in a while."

"We'd rather you not!" The whole crew screamed in unison.

Robin would realise then that her words from before would come back to haunt her.

 _Predictable?_ Robin scoffed. _Yeah, definitely not. Fate sure loves to make fun of me._

* * *

Having left Doflamingo back at Dressrosa, the crew had continued to be on their way as they followed the third string.

It _almost_ led them to a Marine base; the G-5 branch to be specific. It was thanks to Sabo's quick thinking that had forced Franky to steer the Thousand Sunny away from it but their actions had proved futile. A while after, a Navy warship had quickly followed through; with Smoker forcing his men to follow 'the red string that was getting closer'.

It was to his shock (and apparently dilemma) when they had run into the Straw Hats as well as other notable names.

"Smokey's one of them too." Luffy looked back and forth from Robin to the Marine.

"A pirate… of all things… as a potential soulmate." Smoker took in a deep breath as he let it all sink in. "What rotten luck."

At that statement, Robin frowned. "I should be saying the same thing."

Behind him, a Marine shouted gleefully. "Well, Vice-Admiral! At least she's hot!"

"Shut up, all of you."

"Join us, Smokey!" Luffy waved his hands over to the older man. "The faster Robin falls in love, the quicker the strings disappear!"

The man shook his head as he decided that the thing no longer interest him any longer. He stared at the woman whose life seemed to intertwine his but noticed that she refused to even look at him in the eye. Smoker looked away, knowing that Robin wasn't interested in falling in love with him.

"I'm not going to fall in love with some pirate." He smoked his cigar calmly. "And I don't think the demon child would either with a marine."

The woman quickly turned on her heels as she made her way to her room. Seeing her weary expression had Nami worried. The orange haired young woman trudged along Robin softly, hoping that her presence would at least comfort the older woman in some way or another.

Nami knew then Robin would continue to find the whole soulmate thing a bother.

She at least hoped that somewhere deep down in Robin's heart, the woman would find in it her to persevere to find the owners of the remaining three strings that has yet to be found.


	5. Chapter 4 - The Last Three

Coming face to face with an old face had always been something Robin welcomed, until the last couple of days when fate had decided to be mean to her.

Today was no exception, as the Thousand Sunny docked at the ports of one of many islands in the Grand Line; the city bustling with life and business. Knowing that the last few suitors had turn out to be more than horrible, Nami had insisted that she followed Robin alone as the pair followed along the tenth string on the latter's hands.

They were being followed of course, as the others were admittedly interested to know who their competitor would be. The two women knew that but were too lazy to dismiss them, knowing that it would create unnecessary ruckus to begin with. And so they swallowed their earlier instructions from before, walking along to the tunes of the red string on Robin's wrists.

"Nico Robin." The owner behind the red string scoffed upon seeing her face. "I've been expecting you."

"Crocodile."

"You've got to be kidding me." Nami practically wanted to cry out.

"I assume by your presence that you've yet to fall in love with anyone." Crocodile smirked. "Don't tell me that the boys secretly behind you both aren't doing enough to please you."

"That jerk…" Sanji muttered through gritted teeth.

"My pleasure is none of your business." Robin answered as curtly as she could back at her old partner.

"And yet it once was…"

"H-Huh?" Nami turned to her older friend. "H-He means… Robin? Is he the one… that you said...?"

When Robin said nothing but turned red, the orange haired girl had screamed in surprise. "Really?! Why?!"

"Why?" Zoro was obviously not getting where this conversation was going. "What did he do to Robin?"

Usopp coughed uncontrollably, knowing what Nami was insinuating. "I knew I didn't wanted to know for a reason."

"I still don't get it."

"Crocodile was…" Usopp sighed as he tried to think of the best way to put it all together. "He was her first."

This time, Ace frowned. "Really? He was her first love?"

"No, no. You're getting it all wrong." The long nosed young man dismissed the guess. "Robin has never fell in love before."

"Then…"

"He was her _first_ , damn it!"

"I don't get it." Luffy tilted his head in confusion. "First what?"

"I see." Kid turned to look at the infamous ex-Warlord. "So he was the first guy she f-"

"Made love!" Brook interrupted before the redhead could utter a profanity, covering Chopper's ears at the same time. "The first guy she made love to!"

"Oh." The new piece of information began to sink in. " _Oh_."

"That jerk!" Sanji bit his lips in anger. "Why I ought to-"

"When the string appeared, I had a hunch that I'd be seeing you again." Crocodile drawled lazily. "You were the only one I ever bothered with after all."

"By bothered, you mean brainwashed." Robin frowned. "I was young and naïve back then. I'm nothing like I once was."

"And yet you ironically are." He hummed to himself funnily. "Anyway, if you came for love, I don't have any."

"Then we'll be on our way-"

"But if you came for something else," Crocodile added, staring intensely at the black haired woman. "Maybe I can consider reliving back our old times together."

"Screw you."

"Gladly."

"I think I'm going to be sick." Nami placed a hand on her mouth, the other quickly pulling Robin along. "We're going back to the ship."

"Nami…" Robin faced her younger friend apologetically. "I'm sorry you had to see that."

"It's okay. But seriously? Crocodile was your first?"

"He _was_ attractive back then." She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. "But he was also a questionable character."

"I swear to God, Robin." Nami shook her head at the thought passing through her mind. "I bet you're going to surprise me with who you're choosing at the very end. But then again, judging by who the potential soulmates are, your future isn't looking very good."

"Well… maybe the next one would be better."

"I hope so too."

Behind them, the men trailed along, hearing everything that had just transpired between the two.

"Crocodile… and Robin- _chwan_ …" Sanji uttered sadly, being pulled along by Franky.

"Get a grip! You're being _super_ irritating."

"So she does like her boys bad." Kid laughed, shaking his head at the predictability.

Ace, Sabo and Law only frowned in silence.

"Who would have thought?" Zoro dismissed it all too casually. "Robin and Crocodile, huh…"

"I don't like it." Luffy stated simply.

It wouldn't matter to the men if they had liked it or not, for the next day would soon come as yet another surprise for the whole lot of them.

* * *

The men on board had straightened their postures in order, a little wary at how the great pirate was before them. It had only been two days since their last meeting with Crocodile and they hadn't expect to see another familiar face so soon.

But this time, they hadn't actually known the man; they'd only seen him in his infamous wanted posters.

Only one man greeted their new visitor with vigour; though he was quickly flung aside from his sudden warm greetings.

"Luffy. Long time no see."

It _was_ a little unnerving to have the great man stand before them. It was only a few hours ago when they had decided to stop by this little island to get some supplies for Chopper's medical expertise. They hadn't bank in on running into a potential soulmate, much less a man of his calibre.

"You didn't have to throw me off, you know." Luffy rubbed his cheeks painfully. "But I can't believe you're one too!"

The said man finally turned his attention to the one on the opposite end of his string and he had smiled warmly, walking up to her for a hug.

"I've heard a lot about you, Nico Robin." The man greeted casually. "To think you're a potential soulmate…"

"R-Red-haired Shanks." Robin gulped, definitely cursing fate for playing such games with her. "I didn't realise…"

Shanks smiled, a little too happy at the situation. "This must be a birthday present, or something."

" _Or something_ is definitely right." Usopp and Nami both commented offhandedly.

The man went in for a hug and Robin had tensed at the touch, though still pleasantly surprised by how nice he smelled. She could have sworn he had at least been drunk and was a little unsettled by the fact that he was actually sober.

"So? Wanna get married?" Shanks joked but Robin remained stoic. "Is that a yes?"

"Shanks!" Luffy interrupted the moment between the two. "You don't get to cut in line. You have to compete like everyone else."

"Is that so?"

"Shanks, we have to go." Beckman urged for his captain to follow. "While it's great seeing Luffy… and the woman behind the string… we have other important things to do too."

"I see." The man furrowed his eyebrows in disapproval. "Guess I'll see you next time, Robin."

"Shanks!" The Straw Hats captain whined.

"Oh, you too Luffy."

"Shanks…"

It was only until he left did the woman (and many others) realised that Shanks had dropped her surname to just calling her 'Robin'.

"Talk about an unfair competitor." Ace huffed once the older man was out of sight. "And that old man didn't even greet me warmly."

"Or at all." Zoro pointed out.

"Doesn't he automatically win?" Kid looked on mysteriously.

"… You never know until you try." Was all Law said before walking away from the crew. "I'm getting tired."

"Robin!" Nami huddled over to the older woman. "I see _hope_!"

And Robin wouldn't let anyone else know, but so did she.

* * *

"So, we're down to the last string." Brook laughed but upon seeing Ace, stopped. "Ace, what's wrong?"

"Goddamn it. I know who the last string belongs to."

The skeleton followed his line of sight and was surprised to see Robin _smiling_ at her company.

"I can't believe my eyes! She's smiling! Although, I don't have eyes."

Far away from them, the woman enjoyed her small talk with her new acquaintance.

"I see." She noted his manners. "So you were shocked at first too."

Marco laughed as he ran his free hand through his hair. "I almost had the shock of my life when I saw Ace with his red string, but I was more than happy to know that you're the one I'm connected to."

"Likewise." Robin reciprocated his grin. "I didn't know the Whitebeard's first division commander would be a pleasant _and_ decent person to have a conversation with."

"I would love to talk some more but I think your admirers wouldn't like me to do so." Marco nudged his head to the crew behind her. "And one's coming this way…"

"Marco." Ace was miraculously by their side. "You're leaving already?"

"Pops send me out on an errand." The older man replied. "Though now I think he did that because he knew what the string meant."

"You should stay." The former added reluctantly. "We're _finally_ able to start this thing properly."

"But I really have to go. Maybe I'd drop by when I'm free."

"And what if the string disappear by then?"

Ace could see both their faces drop at that thought and he too couldn't help but feel a little hurt by how attached Robin already was to Marco.

"It wouldn't." He uttered at long last. "I'll just have to be back before then."

When all was said and done, the pineapple man (as called by Luffy) had left; leaving Robin to deal with the few suitors before her.

"So I guess we finally know who each person is." Sabo was the first one to bring the topic up during dinner that night. "I propose we start the competition."

" _How_ should we go about it, though?" Sanji smoked in his cigarette. "I can't imagine we fight it out to death."

"That suits fine by me." Zoro ate into his chicken drumstick.

"I agree." Kid did the same right after.

"… I don't want that." Robin shook her head at the ridiculous statement. "It's stupid."

"Why don't Robin spend the whole day with a person each?" Usopp offered and the atmosphere immediately got brighter.

"That's genius!" Nami slapped her friend on his back. "And she can spend the night too."

"I'll pass." The woman glared at the younger woman but she was clearly immune. "The day part sounds good, though."

"Then, that settles it!" Luffy raised his cup for a toast. "We start tomorrow!"

Franky and Chopper turned to each other excitedly. "We'll get the lots ready!"

Robin continued digging into dinner, wondering who the first person she'll be spending time with tomorrow is. The smile etched on her face would remain unnoticed, as the plan of getting rid of the strings would finally be put into action.

Tomorrow, Robin thought, would be the day to determine her future; whether she likes it or not.


End file.
